Chicken Francese

Chicken Francese is quick and easy enough for a weeknight meal yet elegant enough for company. Chicken cutlets are dredged in flour, dipped in eggs, fried to golden perfection, and served in a luscious lemon and white wine sauce.

What is Chicken Francese?

Chicken Francese is an Italian American dish of flour-coated, egg-dipped pan-fried chicken breasts in a lemon butter wine sauce. I serve it with angel hair pasta or spaghetti, oven-roasted asparagus or green beans, and a chilled pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc.

This tasty chicken dish is one of our favorites. It is so easy to make, goes with many side dishes, tastes scrumptious, and fills our hearty appetites with plenty of protein. Prepare to be wowed, my lemon-loving friends. If you like this dish, try my creamy Tuscan chicken, chicken piccata, garlic butter chicken, and lemon pepper chicken.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

• Chicken breasts: Cut two large chicken breasts in half lengthwise, creating four thinner cutlets. You can also pound the chicken thinner with a meat mallet.
• Butter: unsalted, please
• White wine: For optimal flavor, use a dry white wine like a Chenin blanc, pinot grigio, or Sauvignon blanc. It should be good quality and one that you would enjoy drinking.
• Chicken broth: low sodium is best.
• Parmesan cheese: freshly grated is best.

How to make Chicken Francese

First, combine the flour, kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, and garlic powder in a shallow bowl. Then, beat the eggs in a separate shallow bowl. Now heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge the chicken cutlets in the flour, then dunk them into the eggs. Let the excess egg mixture drip off.

Add the chicken to the skillet and fry until golden brown on the bottom. Then, flip and fry until golden brown on the other side and cooked through. Remove the chicken to a plate covered with paper towels to soak up any excess oil. Carefully wipe most of the oil out of the skillet.

Reduce to medium heat and melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes while gently scraping the bottom of the pan to get off any browned bits. Whisk in the white wine and reduce it for 1-2 minutes.

Then, add the chicken broth and lemon juice. Whisk to combine and let it simmer and thicken for a few minutes. Return the cooked chicken to the skillet with the sauce. Garnish with fresh lemons slices, chopped fresh parsley, or a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese.

Preparation Tips

• I know it sounds incorrect to dip the chicken in flour first and then the egg mixture, but that is the uniqueness of this recipe.
• You can use olive oil for this recipe, but I prefer vegetable oil as it browns the chicken better and gets it crispier.
• This dish moves quickly, so have what you need within reach.
• Add 1/4 cup heavy cream when making the sauce for a thicker, creamier sauce.

Serving Suggestions

• Garden salad or Italian salad
• Steamed broccoli, asparagus, or green beans
• French baguettes with sweet cream butter
• Garlic bread or garlic knots
• Any cooked pasta, including angel hair, spaghetti, fettuccine, penne, or rotini
• Rice or mashed potatoes
• Roasted parsnips, turnips, carrots, or cauliflower

Storage and Reheat

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The breading will not stay crisp, but the cutlets are still tender and full of great flavor. Reheat on the stovetop on low or in the microwave at reduced power so they heat through without drying out.

You can theoretically freeze this dish, but it just will not be the same. The coating on the chicken will not be crispy, so I recommend preparing what you know you will finish in one sitting.

More Chicken Cutlet Recipes

Dijon Chicken

Chicken Milanese

Chicken Stroganoff

Lemon Chicken Pasta

Chicken and Mushrooms

Parmesan Encrusted Chicken

Chicken Francese Recipe

Easy Chicken Frances is chicken breaded first in flour and then eggs, pan-fried, and served in a white wine lemon sauce with fresh lemons and chopped Italian parsley.

5 from 69 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: main meal chicken

Cuisine: Italian American

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 328kcal

Author: Beth Pierce

Ingredients

Chicken Francese

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut in half lengthwise creating 4 thinner breasts
• ¼ cup all purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 large eggs beaten
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Lemon Sauce

• 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoon flour
• ⅔ cup dry white wine
• ⅔ cup low sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 lemon thinly sliced
• Chopped fresh Italian parsley
• Parmesan Cheese

Instructions

• Combine the flour, kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, and garlic powder in a shallow bowl.  Beat the eggs in a separate shallow bowl.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge the chicken cutlets in the flour mixture, then dunk them into the eggs. Let the excess beaten eggs drip off.
• Add the chicken to the skillet and cook until golden brown on the bottom. Flip and cook until golden brown on the other side and cooked through. Remove the chicken to a plate. Carefully wipe most of the oil out of the skillet.
• Reduce the heat to medium and melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes while gently scraping the bottom of the pan to get off any browned bits. Whisk in the white wine and let it reduce for 1-2 minutes. Add the chicken broth and lemon juice. Whisk to combine and let it thicken for a minute.
• Return the cooked chicken to the skillet with the sauce. Garnish with fresh lemon slices, chopped fresh parsley, or a sprinkle of grated Parmesan Cheese.  For best results, serve promptly.

Video

Notes

• I know it sounds incorrect to dip the chicken in flour first and then the egg mixture, but that is the uniqueness of this recipe.
• You can use olive oil for this recipe, but I prefer vegetable oil as it browns the chicken better and gets it crispier.
• This dish moves quickly, so have what you need within reach.
• Add 1/4 cup heavy cream when making the sauce for a thicker, creamier sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 328kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 133mg | Sodium: 403mg | Potassium: 363mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 318IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 2mg

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